Method and means for sealing packages



s. c. CARY. f METHOD AND NIE/INS Fon SEI/i/IIIIIY'PACKAGES.

APPLICATION FILED IAII'.,/4/,'I9Ia. i

Patented J uly,l 8,;19192 a SHEETS-sund.'

s. c. CARY'. METHOD AND MEANS FOR SEALING PACKAGES.

APFLICATIQN. FILED 1AN.4. 1918.

Patented J uly 8, 1919.

3 SHLETSSHEET 2.

S. C. CARY.

METHOD AND MEANSFOR SEALING PACKAGES.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 4, I9Ia.

1,309, 1 1 5 'Patented July ,8, 1919. I A a SHEETS-SHEET 3.5

' package when subjected vtion prior to to the package so SPENCER C. CARY, OF BROOKLYN, COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN,

NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 CARY MANUFACTURING NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

METHOD OF lAND MEANS FOR SEALING PACKAGES.

' Application filed January 4,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SPENCER citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Method of -and' Means for Sealing Packages, of' which the following is a specification.

This invention is a method of and means for sealing packages of various kinds, such as packing boxes, shooks, bundles of shingles and numerous other kinds of merchandise packages.

`'In the art of shipping packages it is usual to apply a binder of one form or another to a shipping package, ,such as a metal strap or a wire band; further, it is customary to attach the metal strap by numerous nails to a wooden packing box or shook; further, it is not unusual to use a metal seal in connection with a band to a'ord additional security in the transportation of the package, A'and in some instances the wooden box has been provided with a kerf or groove in order to seat a Wire'band.

The object of this invention is to provide for the application of aband to a shipping package in an expeditious and easy manner, and so that the band will be drawn so taut as to embed itself in the material of the packing box, shook, or other package, thus precluding any tendency of the band to slip along the package or to become displaced accidentally thereon, The band is applied that it binds said package in a way to afford added security thereto, and thus minimize the breakage of said to rough handling. Furthermore, the band is not removable easily from the package in order to gain access to the contents thereof, but should 'this condition arise, the band cannot be replaced in 'all respects similar to the condisuch removal, thus aiiording means for detecting the unwarranted entry to the box or shook. I An important feature of my invention is the union between. the meeting ends of the C. CARY, a

band so asfto aifordi an efficient seal, thus.

'precludin'g lthe ready detachment of the band and alike entry of the packing case l Accordingly, the problems to be solved lare, vfirst, the application-of the band under .55,

ytension'Tito tlie package,A and, second, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

soas to bind it Patented July 8, 1919.

1918. Serial No. 210,340.

union of the meeting ends of the band While 1n a taut condition, such union affording a sealed condition for said meeting endsy as well as a secure anchorage for the band.

The invention comprises a method. of sealpackagecony ing a band around a shipping, sisting of the following stepsz-l-irst, stretching a band into contact with the package so as to bind its parts and lto partially embed said band into the mate,-V rial of the package, particularly at the corners thereof, the end portions of the `band being slackor free slack end portions being positioned in lapping order; second, positioninga sealing, anchoring or retaining member into engagement with the free slack ends. of the band; third, bending the free ends of the band into locking engagement with said sealing, anchoring or retaining member, and, fourth, relaxing tension on 'the band in order that the locked ends of the band will exert a pull upon the sealing, anchoring or retaining ber may be embodied in various -construc. found that such a' tional forms, but I have member constructed for mechanical attachment in an easy manner tothe shipping package is Well adapted to meetl the requirements of the invention. Such a member comprises a body portion vand a plurality of attachingl anges extending from said body portion; said attaching anges being formed with one 'or more spurs and said flanges being provided with transverse lopenings or slots through which the free slack ends of the bands-are adapted to be passed prior to driving the spurs into the package and before tension is relaxed on the band.

This invention is characterized ous fu ctions and advantages in the art of from tension and said shipping packages, among which vare the facilityl'and ease of application of the band to the package; the band is applied and held tightly, into contact with the package securely and at the same time preclude thev band from slipping upon the package; the ends of the band are securely fastened in a manner to effectively ilo 'in contact with the seal the same, thus precluding tampering with the band without detection, and the sealing and anchoring means are substan-- Fig 12 is a view similar to Fig l .with the retaining or anchoring means .positioned y lapping end portions of the band while they are in a slack condition.

Fig. 3 is an elevation similar to Figs. l and 2, but showing the operation of the band stretching device so as to place the and under tension, the anchoring or retaining device being ready for driving into the material of the package.

Fig. 4L is a plan view of a portion. of a shipping package with. the wire band applied thereto and wit-li the anchoring or re taining device in position for driving into the package.

Fig. 5 sectional view of with the band applied thereto and with the anchoring or retaining device driven into the package prior to bending or looping the end portions of the stretched band into locking engagement with the anchoring or retaining device.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of the package with the band and the anchoring or retaining device, showing the final operation.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the retaining deviceor anchor.

A band A is stretched so tightly around a shipping package B that said'band becomes embedded into the material of the shipping package, particularly at the corners thereof. To .eilect the desired stretch.- ing of the band a device' of the torni shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 is employed. but it is to be understood, first, herein to' the particular device illustrated in said figures, and, second, tliat any equivalent device for stretching the' vband may be employed. The band stretching device is shown as a power-operated screw C, a plurality of cooperating crcssheads D, E, a guide member F and bandgripping clamps D, E', carried by the respective heads D, As shown, the screwY of the stretching device is provided with a continuous thread. al-

the ackaffe though it is apparent that a right and/left threaded screw may be employed in connection with the two heads D that no claim is made- E in order to nio're rapidly impart the desired adjustment to i said heads when the screw is rotated.A The single threaded screw works bearing of engagement with a nut (not shown) -of the head E, whereby'the rotation of the screw eiects a relative movement between the two heads. i l

The screw spindle is provided at one end with a hand crank c for its convenient operation. The guide rod F is attached at one end to the head D 'and is fitted loosely to the head E in order to direct the movement of the head E and parallel relation to the companion head D. The band-gripping clamp carried by each A head is shown as having a pivotal connectionv with said head, said pivot heilig atiiorded vby a pin The clamp is mova'ble relatively the head, the lower part of which head c0n' upon the spindle'are .cam

this cani member is actuated by said screw so as to turn the clamps D E on the pivots afforded by the pins d in the tion to grip the band.

he anchoring or retaining device employed iiiiiiy invention is illustrated at I in detail in Fig. 7. of the drawings, said device serving the purposes ofa seal in coupling and locking the meeting ends of the. band. The device comprises a body portion h, de-A pending flanges i', and spurs y', the whole being composed of and struck up from sheet metal of the required gage. The body portion i is aliat piece of metal froinopposite sides of which extend the flanges These ilanges ai'ecut to' retain said head in a are in. contact with the up-V roo required direc-v a single piece of metal away so as to produce the spurs 7, and y'in' the flanges are provided openings or slots-lc.

The band A l wire, for the reason'tliat this" material possesses the required tensile stretching around the packing case', and itis economical oi1 manufacture. derstood that the invention is the use of wire as theband, that other material, such as box strapping may be employed for this purpose.

When it yis desired to ap ly a band to a shipping package of one -01m oranother, such as a packing case, a shook,lo r a bundle for the reason strength' to Standl is composed,y preferably, of f.

It is to' benny. not limited to heads grip inceste of material, the wire band is placed loosely around the case, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The 'stretching device is positioned upon the top of the case so that the two ends of the band are between the heads D E. The band 'is )assed between' the lower ends of the heads l5 E and the clamps D E', after which the thumb screw e may he tightened in order to make the clamps andthe the band, but this manual manipillation of the thumb screws is not necessary, for the reason that the rotation of the screw spindle C will actuate the cam members Gr Vin order to move the clamps D E into gripping engagement with the band.

-Tlie continued rotation of the screw spindle moves the heads D E toward each other, thus stretching the band tightly around the shipping package, and in fact the band may be stretched to the point where it becomes partially embedded in the material of the shipping package, particularly at the corners thereof. This operation of exerting a drawing pull upon the two ends ot' the band is conducted while the meeting ends of the band are in a slack condition, and this is advantageous for the reason 'that it allows the anchoringl or retaining device l to be easily positioned over the loose or slack ends of said band, the remainder of which band is under the required tension. The operator lifts one slack end of the band sufficiently for said end to be thrust through the slots c in the retainer, after which the retainer is slid along the band for a suflicient distance ,to clear the extremity of the other slack end,

whereupon the second slack end of the band is lifted and the retainer is slipped in a reverse direction so that the secondend will be received in the slots or openings k. Theretainer is now in contact with the two slack ends of the band, and said retainer may then be adjusted as in Figs. 2 and 3 to a desired position upon the case, the next step in the operation consisting in driving the retainer into the material of the case, for which purpose the spurs j and the flanges i will readily penetrate into or become embedded in the wood of the case or the material of the package, see Fig. 5, whereby the retaine'- is attached or anchored firmly on the case. operator now proceeds to bend one end ot' the band A in one directionround a flange i ofthe retainer, as indicatedzat a in Fig. 6, whereas the other end of the band is bent in an opposite direction and around the other llange i' of the retainer, as at b in said Fig. 6, thus locking the two slack ends of the stretched band firmly to the retainer.

The several operations of applying the retainer to the hand, adjusting the retainer 4into contact with the two ends of the band and to a desired position upon the case,

driving the retainer into the case and locking the ends of the band to the retainer are The . whereas the remainder of the band is ein f gagement all conducted easily and quickly w mayor part of the hand is iii. stretcl' condition, for the reason that the stretch-- ing device is practically ont oj the 'wayg'ot the' operator while performing said cpera-- there being no protruding surfaces which are liable to. catch in other packages, ,or

saine which in anyway will interfere with the operation of piling or stacking one shipping package upon another.L The meeting; end portions' of substantially concealed by the plate of the retainer, and as the wire hand is comparativel stili, the loops or bent ends ete. cannot be pulled away or displaced fro-mem gageinent with the retainer without detee tion, said retainer 'serving all the purposes of a seal so as to sons from attempting to tamper contents otn the package. l i

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claimas new and desire` to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. In the art of binding shippingpael ages, the improvement which consists "in stretching a band for the major part length so tightly around the packaffe. to embed said band into the materialtlie packa e, the end portions with. the

of the sand the slack end portions of said applying the tension of the stretched per tion of the band to the sealing' manille-i; l; relaxing the drawing strainer pail appiied to said band. l

2. In. the art of' binding shippi ages, the improvement which consi erting a drawing pall upon a han stretch it tightly around the paci; embed said hand into the materif package at the corners theree', the l tions of said hand tie-ing slack a tension, attaching a sealing member a fixed relation to the package ani itc enM with the slack end pcitions oi the band, att-aching' said slack end portions of the band to the sealing member, and relax'mg the drawing pull upon the major part of the band.

3. ln the art of binding shipping peilt its the band are covered and a very compact or even a euh-;

preclude unauthcrizedper .sis

ages, the 'improvement which consists in exerting a drawing pull upon a band so as to stretch it tightly around the package, the end portions of said band being slack and free Whereas the remainder Jof the band is under tension, positioning a sealing mem# ber into engagement with the slack end' portions of the band, attaching the sealing member to the package, thereby anchoring the sealing member, fastening the slack end portions of the band to the anchored sealing member, and relaxing the drawing pull upon the major portion of the band so that Athe tension of the band is applied to the anchored sealing member.

4. In a device ci' the class' described, the combination with a `binder under tensional strain, of a sealing device adapted to be anchored in a. fixed position on the package to be sealed, the end portions of said binder being bent into interlocking engagement with said sealing device.

5. In a device of the combination with a band applied under tension to a shipping package, of a retainer or anchor, the respective end portions of said band having interlocking engagement with said retainer or anchor.

6. In a device of the class described., a retainer provided with means for fixing the same to a package, combined with a band the end portions of which are interlocked with said retainer.

7. In a device of the tainer provided with spurs for attachin the same to a package, combined with a and the end portions of Which are partially concealed by said retainer and are locked thereto.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a bandA the end portions of which are positioned ,in lapping relation, and a retainer in contact with said lapping end portions, the latter being bent ing relation to the retainer.

class described, a re- *9. In a device of the'class described, the A class described, the

the end into locle combination of abend the end portions of which are positioned in lapping relation, and a retainer provided with slotted fia-nges through which are passed the end portions of said band, each end portion 'of said band to a package, combined with a band the end portions or which pass through the slots and are looped into locking engagement with said retainer.

l2. In a device of the class described, a retainer comprising a body portion, attaching spurs extending from the body portion and affording means for locking engagement with a band, and openings through which portions of saidband are adapted to be passed.

13. In a device of the class described, a retainer struck up from a single piece of metal and comprising. a body portion, anges extending -from said body portion,

spurs protruding beyond the ianges, and

openings in said flanges.

14. In the art of bindinv' shipping packages, the improvement Wahich consists in stretching a band for the major part of its length around said package so as to leave the end portions of said band free and slack, and twisting the slack free ends of the band -into locking engagement with an anchor While said band is under tension so as to anchor said ends and retain the band around the package.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name,

SPENCER o. caer. 

